Wolves comment: Huge boots to fill as Willian Jose steps in for hero Raul Jimenez

To say he has been missed is a vast understatement.

The difference has been there for all to see – it is night and day.

Football is a team game, of course, but you cannot deny Jimenez is the one who has made Wolves tick.

Across all competitions, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have only won three of 11 games without the Mexican admirably leading the line.

In the Premier League, it is one triumph from nine.

After the victory at Arsenal – the game in which Jimenez fractured his skull – Wolves were sitting pretty at sixth in the top flight.

Now they are looking over their shoulder, down in 14th.

Without their shining light, who is thankfully making great progress after surgery and now doing physical work in the gym, Wolves’ identity has been lost.

So, if fresh face Willian Jose turns out to be even half as good as the top scorer of both 18/19 and 19/20, he will be considered a roaring success.

If Jose holds the ball up in any way similar, works anywhere near as hard and, ultimately, finds the net anywhere near as frequently as Jimenez, Jose will quickly establish himself as a fans’ favourite.

His arrival is ever so welcome – fortunately, the club didn’t waste the opportunity to address the situation this month – as Fabio Silva, frankly, was given a thankless task.

An 18-year-old with just one senior start for Porto to his name before arriving at Molineux for a club-record £35million fee last summer, he is firmly one for the future.

The Portuguese is not ready to be starting every week, trying to replicate the massive impact Jimenez had.

Performances have shown that, while also offering glimpses as to why so much money was spent on him – the cool finish against Albion, confident penalty at Burnley and an overall willingness to get on the ball.

He has great potential, but he is not there yet.

Patrick Cutrone might well head back to Italy before the end of the month, too. For whatever reason, it just has not worked out for him in gold and black.

Wolves were in desperate need and the addition of Jose makes a lot of sense, from both an on-pitch and business point of view.

The Brazilian has a consistent goal record in a top league, with four-and-a-half years at La Liga outfit Real Sociedad bringing 62 goals from 170 appearances.

Tottenham and Atletico Madrid have both been in for him in the past.

Financially, too, there is very little risk involved for Wolves.

Having come in on loan for the rest of the season, there is a £22million option to make the 29-year-old’s stay permanent in the summer.

If he gets Wolves back up the league with some crucial goals, as everyone hopes is the case, the choice is there.

Jimenez’s importance cannot be stressed enough.

We all long for the day he is back up front and working his magic.

He is to Wolves what Harry Kane is to Tottenham; Jamie Vardy is to Leicester; Mo Salah is to Liverpool – the star man in attack, who offers so many goals but so much more on top.

Replacing him is a near-impossible task, but Jose is certainly better-placed to steady the ship and, who knows, perhaps form a potent strike partnership with the Mexican down the line.

The new man is not expected to be involved against Chelsea tomorrow night while his work permit is sorted out – new Brexit rules delaying the process – and that is a shame, no doubt.

Having scored six goals already this season though, Wolves have hopefully found the right solution, as Nuno might say, for the crucial weeks to follow.

Again, if the 6ft 2in Jose can offer a glimpse of what was there with Jimenez, he will be on to a winner.